Calcutta HC seeks report from Union Home Ministry on charges of migrant workers from Bengal in Delhi being deported to Dhaka

New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids on three locations in Chatra district, Jharkhand, on Monday, as part of its ongoing investigation into a conspiracy case linked to a splinter group of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) known as TSPC.

The searches were aimed at gathering evidence in connection with extortion, levy collection, and money laundering activities allegedly orchestrated by TSPC members.

During the operation, the NIA seized several mobile phones, SIM cards, and other crucial materials related to the case. These searches targeted properties linked to suspected operatives and overground workers (OGWs) who are believed to be associated with senior cadres of the TSPC.

This investigation is a continuation of the NIA’s work in case RC-06/2018/NIA/DLI, which originally stemmed from an FIR filed by the Tandwa police in January 2016. The case was subsequently taken over by the NIA in February 2018 due to its serious national security implications.

The accused individuals are allegedly involved in illegal activities, including extortion and the collection of levies for the Maoist group, as well as laundering the illicit funds generated through these criminal acts.

To date, the NIA has filed charges against 21 individuals, and the investigation is ongoing. The NIA has been closely monitoring the operations of the TSPC, a faction that has been engaging in violent and subversive activities under the umbrella of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation. The agency is expected to continue its efforts to dismantle the financial and logistical networks supporting such splinter groups, which pose a serious threat to the country’s internal security.

Sources said that further investigation is going on and in days to come more information related to the Maoists’ activities will be obtained by the NIA. Similar, significant crackdowns against Maoists have also been carried out earlier by the Jharkhand Police.

–IANS

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New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera on Wednesday said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) charge sheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case was a ploy to target the Gandhi family as well as the party and was driven by the government’s intent to harass them.

The ED filed its first charge sheet in over Rs 600 crore National Herald case on Tuesday and named Sonia Gandhi as accused number 1 and Rahul Gandhi as number 2 in connection with alleged money laundering.

Taking strong objection to money laundering charges, Khera said the National Herald case was being made into an issue to target the Gandhi family as well as the Congress party, and this was because the grand old party has always stood and fought for the people.

“Before Independence, the National Herald, Congress party and Gandhi family were targeted by the Britishers for raising the voice of people and in 2025, they are being targeted by the BJP government,” he said.

He further said that Congress and the Gandhi family have always fought for the emancipation of the poor and oppressed and empowering the marginalised classes and will continue to do so.

“The ED action on National Herald reflects Modi government’s angst and frustration against the Gandhis as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi constantly corners the Centre over ‘favouring cronies’ and ignoring the poor,” he pointed out.

He claimed that the BJP and RSS harbour a deep-rooted dislike for the Congress party and asserted that they will neither get intimidated nor silenced, no matter how much the government conspires to harass and target them.

“The previous instances of disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as Member of Parliament and forced vacation of his government bungalow was part of this conspiracy, he remarked.

He further slammed the government for denying the backwards classes their rights and privileges and said, “Whenever Rahul Gandhi raises voice for caste-based census, this makes them uncomfortable.”

“We are soldiers of the Constitution. We won’t get frightened, we won’t be cowed down,” he stated.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, May 12 (IANS) Slamming the ruling party for putting up a post showing Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan, the BJP on Monday said the Karnataka Congress unit’s IT cell functions like a “sleeper cell for Pakistani terrorists”.

The Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, said, “Even before Operation Sindoor began, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had advocated against war with Pakistan and taken a pro-Pakistan stand, had later faced public backlash and took a U-turn.”

He further said that as Operation Sindoor destroyed terrorist hideouts, the Congress party, which tweeted messages preaching peace, faced public outrage and was eventually forced to delete the social media post.

“Now, by posting a map on X that depicts Kashmir as part of Pakistan, the Karnataka Congress party has once again shown how much affection it harbours for a rogue nation like Pakistan,” Ashoka said.

“All in all, there is little doubt left that the IT cell of the Karnataka Congress functions like a sleeper cell for Pakistani terrorists,” Ashoka stated.

The Congress has sparked a major controversy after it came to light that its Karnataka unit had posted an image on social media that depicted the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan.

The post, which was put up by Karnataka Congress — @INCKarnataka — on May 9 on its X handle to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has, however, been deleted.

The controversial post commented on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approving a loan of Rs 8,500 crore to Pakistan. Criticising the move, the post claimed that the IMF granted the loan despite India’s opposition. It featured a photo of Prime Minister Modi with a caption mocking him, stating that the IMF “did not care a damn for the Vishwa Guru”.

What triggered outrage, however, was the map used in the post, showing all of J&K within Pakistan’s borders. The post immediately drew sharp criticism and widespread public outrage on social media.

Facing backlash, the Congress promptly deleted the post.

When asked about this, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru, “That is all incorrect. We have removed the post.”

Responding to questions about why the Congress was sharing posts that hurt public sentiments and later deleting them, Shivakumar said, “Maps can’t be changed, and someone has created mischief. I have removed everyone responsible for putting up that post.”

Earlier, the Congress-led Karnataka government, which shared a message calling for peace against the backdrop of ‘Operation Sindoor’, deleted it after facing backlash.

The Congress on X had shared a quote by Mahatma Gandhi and a poster stating that peace is the strongest weapon of humankind on May 7.

However, the post was deleted within an hour after receiving criticism. After facing backlash, Karnataka State Congress President and Deputy CM Shivakumar posted a message hailing the Indian Army for ‘Operation Sindoor’ and expressed solidarity with the Central government. His message was soon followed by a more elaborate one from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who praised the bravery of the Indian Armed Forces.

CM Siddaramaiah went on to declare that there is no place for terror on Indian soil.

In response to these messages from the CM and Dy CM, several users questioned the Congress party’s earlier peace message, especially at a time when the Indian Army had launched an offensive against terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.

–IANS

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